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Two years ago, we walked together through the Five Marks of Mission—those signposts that help us live out the Good News of Jesus in the world. As we enter this year’s Season of Creation (September 1–October 4), I want to return to the Fifth Mark of Mission:

“To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation, and sustain and renew the life of the earth.”

This isn’t an “extra” or a “nice-to-have.” It’s part of what it means to follow Jesus. From the very beginning, humanity was called not to dominate but to tend and keep the garden. The Gospel is about reconciliation—not only between people and God, but also with the whole created order that God called “very good.”

Peace with Creation

This year’s theme, “Peace with Creation,” comes from Isaiah 32:14–18, where the prophet imagines a time when justice and righteousness bring peace. It’s a vision where people live in safety, communities flourish, and even the land itself rests in wholeness.

But we also know the truth: the earth is not at peace. Fires, floods, and climate instability tell us that creation is groaning. And the ones who suffer most are our most vulnerable neighbours—those who did the least to cause the damage.

When we pray and work for peace with creation, we’re also praying and working for peace with one another. The Fifth Mark of Mission calls us to live differently—for the sake of the world God loves.

Our Responsibility as Stewards

So what does this look like? It begins with faithfulness in the small things:

  • In daily life: choosing to reduce waste, walk or cycle more often, support sustainable food, conserve energy, and tread more lightly on God’s earth.

  • In community: lifting our voices for policies that protect creation, standing with Indigenous leaders who have long cared for the land, and shaping our Cathedral life so it models good stewardship.

  • In prayer and worship: giving thanks for the goodness of creation, confessing where we have fallen short, and asking God’s Spirit to renew us for this holy work.

Every act of care for creation is also an act of love for our neighbours. Clean air, fresh water, fertile soil, and a stable climate are not luxuries—they are God’s gifts, meant for all.

Living the Gospel in Creation

The Fifth Mark of Mission is a call to hope. We don’t do this work in our own strength. The same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead is at work making all things new. Every time we recycle, conserve, plant, advocate, or pray, we join Christ in his mission of reconciliation.

As we enter this Season of Creation, remember: to proclaim the Gospel is also to plant a tree. To work for justice is also to protect a river. To follow Christ is also to strive for peace with creation.

A Call to Action

This September, I invite you to join me and our Cathedral family in three simple commitments:

  1. Change one daily habit to live more gently on the earth—whether that’s reducing plastics, conserving energy, or eating more sustainably.

  2. Take one step of public witness—write to a representative, support an environmental initiative, or join a local creation-care project.

  3. Pray with creation each day—thank God for one gift of the natural world, and ask the Spirit to help you be a faithful steward.

  4. Support the ministry of CATs—the Cathedral's own minstry ofers many opportunities to get involved in stewarding creation.

Friends, this is Kingdom work. Together, these small steps can become a great witness. In Christ, we are called to be peacemakers with creation—for the sake of our world, our neighbours, and generations yet to come.